Abstract
European countries have been facing the decline in pupilsʼ interest in science for decades. There are many strategies being introduced in order to motivate pupils like inquiry, practical courses or extracurricular activities.
To find out what were the crucial factors in engaging young motivated people in science, a questionnaire was prepared, based on interviews with former Biology Olympiad participants. It focuses on the triggers of interest, possible role of the family, school and other institutions, favourite science fields, school subjects and activities as well as future plans.
The participants in the national round of the Biology Olympiad filled in the questionnaire together with other pupils who devoted their free time to biology and who attended an optional biology course at grammar school. The data was coded and analysed using descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney test and χ2 test of independence to compare pupils of different groups.
The preliminary results show significantly different ways how these pupils got engaged with science, namely biology. Participants in the Biology Olympiad rated school subjects chemistry and physics (but not biology) more positively than other pupils with an interest in biology.
They also rated molecular and cell biology better than the others. The pupils interested in biology, who did not participate in the Biology Olympiad, rated human biology more positively.
Parents often initiated pupilsʼ interest in nature regardless of their professions. Consequently, it is interesting that the participants in the national round of the Biology Olympiad had started to be actively interested in nature before they went to school, contrary to the other pupils.
Data from participants in other science Olympiads (Chemistry, Physics and Geography) were collected and preliminary results are discussed. Interestingly, it was often teacher who was crucial for triggering pupilsʼ interest in chemistry and physics.